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Telelaz
Telelaz (acronym for Telebisyong Lazarina) is a Filipino television network owned by the ViacomCBS Networks International division of ViacomCBS. History Beginnings The history of Telelaz stretches back to 1957, when a group of alumni and lawyers from Philippine Cultural College and the Manila Central University, led by Fr. Mariano Montalban, founded the company Difusión Aguinaldina (Aguinaldo Broadcasting). This company, known as DiAgui for short, submitted a bid in the licensing of two new TV channels in Manila, one on channel 47 and one on channel 68. On April 28, 1958, DiAgui won the license for channel 47. Original plans to construct the new station in Kiao Tiong facilities in Caloocan fell through. Eventually, facilities were secured, and with the window to sign on air coming to a close, Channel 47 took to the air on June 12, 1958. Financial problems forced the station to seek a backer, which would turn out to be Sports Network in the United States. SN and DiAgui formed Telerama Filipina, a group that allowed DiAgui to upgrade and expand its studio facilities. In this era, the first mascot of the station, now known as Telemíl, came about: Emíl, an anthropomorphic lion. Martial law, the Padilla and state-run eras On October 17, 1970, Malabon businessman Martín Baldomero Padilla took over the station. Under his leadership, Telemíl went for a populist and news-oriented direction, adopting the slogan And Himpilan ng Balitaan ("The News Channel"). Under Padilla, Telemíl would climb to the top of the Filipino TV ratings. Changes began in 1973, when the government of Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law nationwide months prior and took control of the news departments of channels 4, 5 and 7. Ramón Panelo Quiroga was named administrator of channel 47 and took over hosting duties for the newscast and other programs. This was followed in 1974 with the expropriation of all three major networks (channel 2, 5 and 7); Quiroga became the administrator once again. This continued under the military dictatorship of the National Reorganization Process, with the Philippine Air Force co-administrating the channel with Quiroga, who remained lead newsreader. In 1979, with the arrival of color television looming and facilities upgrades needed to allow color recording and broadcasting, the state bought the Telemíl plant from Padilla, who had continued to own it, thus becoming a 100 percent nationally owned network. It would not be until 1987, with the 11-month run of MBC channel 11, that Padilla would manage another television network. The 1980s started with the introduction of color telecasts on May 6, 1981, but the decade would become turbulent in the legal system. Twice under the dictatorship, a request for bids was issued. The first one, on August 20, 1987, received no offers; the second, on October 25, 1988, would result in Canal Once being handed back to Padilla. At that time, however, Corazón Aquino became President of the Philippines. Among her first acts in office was to nullify the transfer of Channel 47 to Padilla, leaving it in the hands of the state for another five years. 1990's: Privatization at last As the 1980s began to close, financial problems and hyperinflation had brought Telemíl to its breaking point. The energy crisis that helped bring down Aquino's presidency had forced massive cuts in TV broadcast hours in Mega Manila; with the ability to broadcast only four, later eight and ultimately ten, hours a day, and amidst the already rough economic backdrop, Telemíl teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. The closure of the station was being batted around at this time. However, salvation came when Salvador Laurel announced that he would seek bids to privatize two of the state's three remaining Metropolitan Manila stations, Channel 47 and Channel 68. One of the groups participating in this bidding process was Telebisyong Lazarina, a group whose stakeholders were headlined by Vibal Publishing House, Inc. as a group of privately owned TV stations from other parts of the country. In May 10, 1992, Telebisyong Lazarina acquired acquired the license of inactive station and former VGC O&O DXII-TV in Koronadal, South Cotabato from VGC, and returned to the air the next year. DXII-TV is the network's only O&O on the VHF band (channels 2-13). In December of the same year, Oriental ng Telebisyon (OriTele), a subsidiary of Grupo Clarín, won the bidding for Telemíl, but it had also won the bidding for Channel 68. OriTele chose the latter, and Telebisyong Lazarina took control of Channel 47 on New Year's Day 1993. After 20 years of state management, the station was back in the hands of the private sector, and after a decade of branding as Channel 47, the new branding of Telelaz, an acronym of the new ownership's name, was rolled out, with its first idents being the station name in blue, white and red on a white background (reflecting the colors of the Flag of the Philippines) with the iconic station theme music and identification voiceover: Galing Kalookan, sumasaiyo ang Telelaz. DWEA-TV, Himpilan Apatnapu't Pito, Republika ng Pilipinas. (Broadcasting from Caloocan, Telelaz. DWEA-TV Channel Forty-Seven, Republic of the Philippines.) 2000s: Dominance in the ratings Telelaz's arrival into the 90s was signaled with the debut of its iconic 3 circles logo with the station name in white in 3 colored circles (TE on Blue, LE on yellow and LAZ on red) but still retaining the ident theme and the iconic voiceover. With Filomeno Vibal directing the channel's output, and with the introduction of satellite broadcasts nationwide, Telelaz took to an unprecedented 20-year streak atop the Philippines ratings. It logged ratings wins in every year between 1990 and 2009, acquiring the rights to The Simpsons, Formula 1 racing and the franchise for Boom!. In 2000, Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc. acquired ownership of Telelaz and its nine owned-and-operated stations; that same year, Telelaz launched an international signal aimed at viewers outside of the Philippines. It also retained Telelaz over other UHF stations in the country. Bankruptcy and resurgence Telelaz's arrival into the late 90s was signaled with the debut of the current shade of its iconic 3 circles logo with the station name in white in 3 colored circles (TE on Blue, LE on Yellow and LAZ on Red) but still retaining the ident theme and the iconic voiceovert. With Manuel Osvaldez (and after 2004, Bernardo Guaraníme) directing the channel's output, and with the introduction of satellite broadcasts nationwide, Telelaz took to an unprecedented 20-year streak atop the Argentina ratings. It logged ratings wins in every year between 1990 and 2009, acquiring the rights to The Simpsons, Formula 1 racing and the franchise for Boom!. In 2000, Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc. acquired ownership of Telelaz and its five owned-and-operated stations; that same year, Telelaz launched an international signal aimed at viewers outside of the Philippines. It also retained Telelaz over rival television station Intervision 68 when it bought the latter in 2002. NTC, the Philippines' radio and television watchdog, forced Mislatel to sell off its involvement in Intervision. The Climb to No.1 in ratings (2010-2016) In the final years of the Arroyo administration as well as the starting years of the Benigno Aquino administration, under the direction of Claudia Rodríguez Kora, Telelaz lost its number one position in the ratings—which had not happened since just after the privatization of the station—to Intervision 68. In 2012, however, another change in management, this time to Manuel's godson Bonifacio de Santa Fe Limpe (direct descendant of the late distillery mogul Julius Limpe, who himself is a descendant of Bonifacio Limtuaco), and shows like Inah: Mandirigma ng Abagatan, Dark Angel, Spy Hunky and Roma: Tagapagbantay ng Amianan helped Telelaz return to the top of the ratings list. On November 3, 2016, it was reported that Viacom had won a bid to acquire Telelaz. Merger with CBS; new ties with competitor network affiliates On August 2, 2019, Viacom agreed to merge back with the struggling CBS Corporation, owners of several PlayStation TV and FV+ affiliates around the country, into one entity. Both companies came to an agreement on the management team for the merger, with Bob Bakish serving as CEO of the combined company with president and acting CEO of CBS, Joseph Ianniello, overseeing CBS-branded assets. On August 7, 2019, CBS and Viacom separately reported their quarterly earnings as the talks about the re-merger continued. On December 4, 2019, after approval from shareholders of parent holding company National Amusements, Viacom and CBS merged back into one entity called ViacomCBS, effectively making Telelaz and its owned and/or operated stations sisters with CBS-owned PSTV and FV+ affiliates. Programs List of programs broadcast by Telelaz Stations O&Os * DWEA-TV 47 Caloocan/Manila * DVLX-TV 52 Bacolod * DUVA-TV 50 Zamboanga * DVKB-TV 42 Tacloban * DUKB-TV 40 Cotabato City * DWPX-TV 50 Baguio * DWBK-TV 54 Bucay, Abra * DXII-TV 12 Koronadal, South Cotabato1 Operated, but not owned * DZPD-TV 26 Dagupan * DYZA-TV 65 Palawan * DVII-TV 49 Iloilo * DYKE-TV 53 Cebu * DXXV-TV 25 Davao Affiliates * DZRO-TV 47 Laoag * DZAL-TV 54 Baguio * DZTD-TV 33 Legazpi * DWLZ-TV 48 Batangas * DVSA-TV 67 Dumaguete * DVLZ-TV 60 Tacloban * DUKE-TV 52 Butuan * DUCE-TV 63 Cagayan de Oro 1DXII-TV is the network's only VHF station, owned or affiliated. Slogans * 1993-2003 - Magkasama (Together) * 1999-2000 - Sama-Sama Nating Gawin (Let's Do It Together) * 2003 - Isang Dekada na Mahusay (A Decade of Betterment) * 2003-2007 - Magkasama ay Mahusay (Together, it's better) * 2008 - Isang Pakiramdam sa Kinseanyero (One Feeling for the Fifteenth) * 2009 - Isang Pakiramdam (One Feeling) * 2010-2012 - Palagi (Always) * 2012 - Napakabilis na Pakiramdam (A Very Fast Feeling) * 2013 - Better by the Score! * 2013-2015 - Magandang Tanda (A good sign) * 2015-2018 - Marami Tayong Dapat Gawin (We've Got a Lot to Do) * 2018-present - Palaging Magkasama (Always Together) Gallery Telelaz logo (1993-1998).png|Logo (June 12, 1993-June 11, 1998) Telelaz logo (alternate, 1993-1998).png Telelaz logo (1998-present).png|Logo (1998-present) Telelaz Logo (alternate, 1998-2018).png Telelaz Logo (2018-present).png|Alternate logo (2018-present) Telelaz logo (with slogan).png|With Slogan (2018-present) Category:Philippines Category:Television channels and stations established in 1993 Category:Caloocan Category:Metro Manila Category:ViacomCBS Category:Viacom Media Networks Category:Viacom Networks Category:ViacomCBS International Media Networks